Anime Power Rankings is a weekly column where dozens (positively dozens!) of anime critics and opinion givers vote on the best new episodes of anime from the past week. The goal is to track the collective opinions of online conversation leaders across the season and help readers find worthwhile shows to watch.

Like Australia nearly winning Eurovision this year, there was a curious result in this week’s APR. Yes, Concrete Revolutio takes top honors for the third time in a row, but the most notable news is elsewhere. My Hero Academia, JoJo, and Tanaka-kun make Anime Power Rankings history with the first ever three-way tie. Even more remarkable is the near five-way draw with Lost Village and Macross Delta only 1 and 2 points off from joining the crowded top 5 chart, respectively.

Is it too difficult to choose between the anime offerings this season?

Filling the APR ballot this time is kind of hard when the shows are this good. Not necessarily the Shouwa Rakugo type of good but I enjoy what I see so far in this season. Special mention to Mayoiga which just went over 9,000 in terms of lunacy on its latest episode.

Concrete Revolutio came back to form this week with a pretty strong episode, partly because it was willing to underplay its important themes instead of hitting us with them the way it has been recently.

I really enjoyed this week’s Kiznaiver – it felt a great deal more focused to me than previous episodes. It also
reminded me that while none of the characters would probably be all that interesting on their own, as a group they’re far more compelling.

I don’t think Kiznaiver is living up to its potential (and not just because the blending of comedy and drama is weird), but for what it’s worth, it’s doing a fine job of delivering on the character drama now that it’s done with establishing the mechanics. Maki’s past has potential to make her really interesting and the other characters are getting more likable as well. Although does every relationship between two girls have to be given a yuri vibe now?

Flying Witch admits the number of witches has declined, and thus their true master plan for us all is revealed. Being so chill to hang out with that you just want to join them, and before you know it you are drawing pentagrams all over your living room to the sound of 1980’s action films.

Flying Witch may seem like a sweet, happy, family-friendly slice-of-life, but don’t be ensnared by its “healing” and its “cute brown girls” and its “well-written characters!” This latest episode has revealed the show’s insidious agenda: indoctrinating children into witchcraft and encouraging people to drug their friends and family! We must remain vigilant. These damned Vietnamese videos, if gone unchecked, will surely corrupt our youth!

One of these days, Anne Happy will get above Flying Witch (which is just too good) in my ballot, because it’s got great characterization, and some really interesting animation direction. Plus, Shin Oonuma really knows how to treat loser characters and make them wonderful.

How many other anime bloggers do I have to off before Ushio to Tora is in it’s rightful place at number 1? Since the end of Hunter x Hunter, Ushio to Tora is the closest anime to reach the vibe that Hunter x Hunter had while it was dominating and destroying it’s competition for best airing anime.

Big Order this week gave us a female character whose enjoyment of breasts is explained as being due to her love of mountaineering. Breasts and mountains are both peaks – makes perfect sense! This show is so stupid it makes one wonder how humanity isn’t dead of chronic idiocy yet.

Lots of shows seem to be improving as they go along this season, rather than falling apart as is the norm. Not a trend I expect to see continue to future seasons, but I’m glad it’s happening this season.